Police have welcomed the conviction of murderer Robin Garbutt.

Speaking after today's verdict at Teesside Crown Court, Detective Superintendent Lewis Raw, the senior investigating officer, said: “It is satisfying that we have been able to secure justice for Diana Garbutt and her family in this most tragic and distressing of cases.

"I hope the murder conviction of her husband Robin Garbutt will provide a measure of comfort and closure, allowing her family to start rebuilding their lives after a very traumatic year.

“The murder of Diana - and the subsequent arrest and charge of Robin Garbutt - has also caused a great deal of upset and distress to the residents of Melsonby.

In particular the original circumstances that she was killed during an armed robbery which turned out to be a bogus scenario made up by Garbutt to cover his tracks.

I would again like to reiterate North Yorkshire Police’s sincere thanks to local residents who have supported the police throughout the investigation.

“As for Robin Garbutt, he has shown himself to be a calculating and deceptive individual who attempted an elaborate cover-up after he violently ended his wife’s life as she lay asleep in bed.

“His actions that morning not only killed Diana, they also devastated the lives of Diana’s family and plunged a small, close-knit community into fear.

“That he did not have the decency to admit his guilt from the outset and therefore spare Diana’s family the pain of reliving the tragic events in full during a trial, demonstrates the type of selfish and deluded individual that Robin Garbutt really is.”